1,158,743. Boots &c. J. S. KAMBORIAN. 23 Feb., 1968 [8 March, 1967], No. 8938/68. Heading A3B. In a lasting machine the forepart grippers, which are moved downwardly by air motors to tension the upper, can be moved lengthwise of the shoe when the upper has been stretched to reposition the upper on the last, the machine having control means to reduce the downward pressure exerted by the motors when the grippers are being moved. As described the machine is a toe and heel seat lasting machine having a shoe supporting and upper tensioning assembly, a toe lasting assembly 12 (Fig. 1) and a heel seat lasting assembly 14. The shoe supporting and upper tensioning assembly includes a shoe support 87, a cement applicator 60, toe grippers 146, two forepart grippers 234, a toe retarder 168 and two side retarders 192. The shoe support 87 (Figs. 4, 6) consists of insole rests 88, 90 carried on a toe post 48 which can be moved heightwise by a toggle linkage (not shown) operated by an air motor 26 (Fig. 1). The cement applicator 60 is resiliently mounted by springs 62, 64 on a bracket 58 carried by a rod 56 which can be moved heightwise in the toe post 48 by air motor 50. The toe grippers 146 (Fig. 4) can be moved along a slot 95 in a bracket 88 secured to a block 90 on the toe post 48. The grippers 146 are closed by an air motor 138 and are moved downwardly to tension the upper by air motor 130. The toe retarder 168 is urged upwardly by an air motor 156 on the block 90. The side retarders 192 (Fig. 16) are urged upwardly by air motors 186 which can be adjusted transversely of the shoe by screws 184. The forepart grippers 234 (Figs. 26, 28) are closed by an air motor 214 and are moved downwardly by air motor 210 and are mounted on universal joints 212. Each gripper is held by a spring (not shown) against a stop screw 282 in a bracket 274 which is pivoted to the machine frame at 256. The bracket 274 holds the gripper 234 in its predetermined position and the gripper 234 can be moved lengthwise of the shoe to reposition the upper by moving a handle 296 on the bracket 274 lengthwise of the shoe. Movement of the handle 296 transversely of the shoe shifts a three way valve 286 to connect the air motor 210 to atmosphere or to a source of higher pressure. The toe gripper 146 is controlled by a similar valve 286 mounted on the machine frame and operated by a handle 298. The toe lasting assembly 12 (Fig. 1) includes toe wipers, a knife, a bedding tool, a toe conforming yoke and side clamps, and is moved towards the shoe from an out of the way position by an air motor 348 and is moved downwardly by air motors 336. The toe wipers 432 (Fig. 37) are mounted on wiper cams 382 which are connected by links 426 to a main slide 410 which is moved forwardly to operate the wipers 432 by air motors 396. A bedding tool 470, which fills the gap between the rear edges 440 of the wipers 432 when they are closed, is advanced with the wipers 432 by a lever 476 operated by air motor 484. A knife 448 (Figs. 37, 39) is housed in grooves in the wipers 432 and is advanced with the wipers by a lever 454 (Fig. 39) operated by air motors 462. A toe conforming yoke 490 (Fig. 46) is mounted above the toe wipers and is urged forwardly by an air motor 506 via lever 512 and bar 498. The legs 554 of the yoke 490 are moved inwardly by air motors 522 which also move the side clamps 536 inwardly. A toe hold down 576 (Fig. 1) is mounted on a lever 564 pivoted to the machine frame at 568 and operated by air motors 572. The heel seat lasting assembly 14 includes a heel rest, a heel hold down, cement applicator, wipers and a heel pad and is carried on arms 578 (Fig. 1) pivoted to the machine frame at 580. The assembly 12 can be swung about the pivot 580 by a screw 590 which is turned by an electric motor 584. The arms 578 carry a motor 602 (Fig. 54) which can raise and lower a heel head 608 and the heel head 608 carries a motor 614 which can move a heel slide plate 622 towards and away from the shoe. An adjustment plate 700 (Fig. 59) is pivoted to a pin upstanding from the front of the heel slide plate 622 and the adjustment plate 700 may be swung about the pin to align the heel lasting assembly with a left or right shoe. A heel cement applicator 816 is resiliently mounted by means of pin 820 and slot 814 connections and springs 822, 824 on one arm of a bell crank lever 808, the other arm being connected to an air motor 798 which raises and lowers the applicator 816. A heel rest 732 (Fig. 61) is slidably mounted in the adjustment plate 700 and is raised and lowered by a toggle mechanism 756, 758 operated by air motor 748. A height sensing pin 738 in the heel rest 732 operates a valve 734 when the heel rest 732 contacts the shoe bottom. A wiper support plate 876 (Fig. 70) is resiliently mounted above the adjustment plate 700 and carries a pair of wiper cams 892 on which are mounted wipers 894. Pins 914 on the wiper cams 892 engage slots 912 in a cross bar 908 which is moved forwardly by air motors 906 to operate the wipers. A heel pad 920 (Fig. 73) is carried above the wipers and can be moved towards the shoe by air motor 916. Air motors 934 close the legs 924 of the heel pad 920 about the shoe. A heel hold down can be lowered into contact with the shoe by air motors 768 (Fig. 1). The machine also includes cement pumps for supplying molten thermoplastic to the toe and heel cement applicators. The machine has an automatic pneumatic control circuit which operates as follows : - the operator places the last on the shoe support 87 using the retarders 168, 172 to position the last, places the lasting margin in the grippers 146, 234 and starts the machine. The toe grippers 146 close, the forepart grippers 234 close, the toe grippers 146 move downwardly, the forepart grippers 234 move downwardly and the machine stops. The operator may then reposition the upper on the last if necessary by manipulation of the levers 296, 298. The operator then restarts the machine and the toe hold down 576 descends on to the last under low pressure and the toe lasting assembly 12 swings forwardly and then downwardly so that the toe conforming lasting margin is gripped between the toe wipers 432 and retarders 168, 192. The toe yoke 490 contacts the shoe upper and the grippers 146 then open and move downwardly. The motor 614 then moves the heel slide plate 622 forwardly until the heel pad 920 contacts the shoe causing the motor 614 to stop and become locked. The heel pad 920 is then retracted and the motor 602 raises the heel head 608 until the height sensing pin 738 contacts the shoe bottom causing the motor 602 to stop and become locked. The toe and heel cement applicators 60 and 816 are then raised and the heel pad 920 is closed about the heel end of the upper and is inflated. The toe conforming yoke 490 is then pressed against the upper with increased pressure, the side clamps 536 are moved inwardly and the heel hold down descends under low pressure. The cement pumps are then operated to supply adhesive to the applicators 60 and 816 and the forepart grippers 234 open and move downwardly. The heel and toe wipers then perform their wiping operations. During the heel seat wiping operation the heel cement applicator 816 and the heel rest 732 are lowered and near the end of the operation the heel hold down exerts heavy bedding pressure. During the toe wiping operation the toe cement appcator 60 is lowered, the bedding tool 470 is advanced the side retarders 192 apply high pressure, the pressure is relieved from the toe retarder 168, the toe support 87 is lowered, the knife is advanced and towards the end of the operation the toe hold down 576 applies heavy bedding pressure. The bedding pressure is applied for a predetermined time after which the various parts return to their initial positions.